Sewing machine spool-pin supports



2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A. J. MATUZAS SEWING MACHINE SPOOL-PIN SUPPORTS Feb. 3,1959 Filed Feb. 6, 1956 INVENTOR. Anthony J Mafuzas BY W fTOR/VEYWITNESS United States Patent SEWING MACHINE SPOOL-PIN SUPPORTS AnthonyJ. Matuzas, Union, N. J., assignor to The Singer Manufacturing Company,Elizabeth, N. .L, a corporafion of New Jersey Applicafion February 6,1956, Serial No. 563,504

' 1 Claim. Cl. 112-218) This invention relates to sewing machines andmore particularly to a new and improved means for supporting a spool ofthread on a sewing machine.

A sewing machine, which is designed to be housed in 1 either a drop-headcabinet, of the type shown in U. S. Patent No. 2,673,776, or in aportable carrying case, of the type shown in U. S. Patent No. 1,548,915,should be as small as consistent with good design. Furthermore, anyappurtenance, for example the spool-pin, secured to external surface ofthe sewing machine should protrude as little as possible. On the otherhand, such a spoolpin should be set a sufficient distance away from themain portion of the' sewing machine to accommodate the largest sizedspool of thread that would normally be used with the sewing machine. Inorder to reconcile these apparently diverse design requirements thepresent invention has as its primary object to provide an improvedspool-pin which can selectively be moved close to the frame of thesewing machine or to a position in which it will support a large spoolof thread.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved spool-pinsupport for use with a family type sewing machine.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a sewing machinespool-pin which may be used to support a large spool of thread and whichdoes not protrude an inafter appear, the invention comprises thedevices, combinations, and arrangements of parts hereinafter set forthand illustrated in the accompanying drawings of a preferred embodimentof the invention, from which the several features of the invention andthe advantages attained thereby will be readily understood by thoseskilled in the art.

Fig. 1 is a rear elevational view of a family-type sewing machineembodying the present invention,

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the sewing machine shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 ofFig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the sewing machine shown inFigs. 1, 2 and 3.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the invention is disclosedas embodied in a sewing machine 14 having a base 16 from which rises abracket-arm 17, comprising a standard 18, an overhanging arm 19, and ahead 21. The sewing machine 14 has many conventional items including ahand-wheel 22, a presser-bar 23, a needle-bar 24 for supporting a needle(not shown), and a thread guide 26, which serves to guide-a thread tothe needle, the thread guide 26 being located adjacent to the junctionof the head 21 with the arm 19.

In accordance with the present invention, there is pro:

vided a means for adjustably mounting a spool-pin with respect to thebracket-arm 17. This means includes a shelf 27, preferably formedintegral withzthe bracketarm 17 at a location adjacent to the junctionof the arm -19 with the standard 18. The shelf 27.l1a's a depending boss28 provided with a hole 29 through which passes a vertically disposedpivot screw 31 having a head 32, the screw 31 being held in place by anut 33. The head 32 of the screw 31, and a dished spring washer 34,which surrounds a reduced portion of the head 32, are received in arecess 36 formed below the upper surface of an oblong spool-pin plate37. Also, as best seen in Fig. 3, the reduced portion of the head 32 anda portion of the shank of the screw 31 are received in a hole 38 formedconcentric with the recess 36. In order to provide for easy operation, afiat washer 39 is positioned between the top of the shelf 27 and thebottom of the plate 37. As best seen in Figs. {2 and 4, the spool-pinplate 37 is oblong and has rounded ends 41 and 42. The free por tion ofthe plate 37, adjacent to the end 42, carries a vertically disposedspool-pin 43 having (Fig. 3) a feltwasher 44 on which rests a spool ofthread 46. It will be noted that the ends 41 and 42 of the plate 37 aresymmetrical and that the center lines of the pin 43 and the hole 3638coincide with the longitudinal center line of the plate 37. Because partof the spool-pin 43 is located below the top of the arm 19 and becausethe spool-pin 43, when moved to the position shown by solid lines inFig. 2, is close to the arm 17, there is provided an arrangement whichallows the sewing machine to be housed conveniently in a drop-headcabinet or in a carrying case.

The herein disclosed invention functions in the following manner. Whenthe sewing machine 14 is to be stored in ,a drop-head cabinet which maybe similar to the drop-head cabinet shown in U. S. Patent No. 2,673,776,supra, or placed in a portable carrying case which may be similar to theportable carrying case shown in U. S. Patent No. 1,548,915, supra, theplate 37 and spoolpin 43 are turned to the position shown by solid linesin Fig. 2. This places the spool-pin 43 and the plate 37 close to thearm 19 of the sewing machine 14. With the parts in this position thesewing machine may be raised from or lowered into a drop-head cabinet ormay be housed in a conventional carrying case. If, however, the sewingmachine is to be used for sewing and it is desirable to use a largespool of thread, the plate 37 and spool-pin 43 are swung to the positionshown by dotted lines in Fig. 2. This places the spool-pin 43 at adistance from the arm 19 and permits the use of a large spool of thread.It will be understood that the dished spring washer 34, the screw 31 andnut 33 press the plate 37 against the washer 39 and press the washer 39against the shelf 27 with suflicient force that once the spool-pin plate37 is pivotally set in one position, it will remain in that positionuntil reset.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim hereinis:

In combination, a sewing machine having an elongated overhanging arm: anelongated shelf secured to the rear side of said overhanging arm, thelongitudinal dimension of said shelf being parallel to the longitudinaldimension of said overhanging arm, and the said shelf protruding fromthe rear of said overhanging arm a widthwise distance substantiallyequal to the diameter of a selective small sized spool, and the lengthof said shelf being equal to substantially twice the diameter of saidselected small sized spools; a vertical pivot member carried by saidshelf at a location closer to one end of said shelf than to the otherend thereof; an elongated plate the length and width of which aresubstantially equal to the length,

Hatented Feb. 3, 1959 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITEDSTATES PATENTS Leslie Jan. 13, 1891 Peets et al May 11, 1954 FOREIGNPATENTS Great Britain Oct. 4. 1938

